1.
starting pitcher
The pitcher who begins the game on the mound and pitches the first inning. In professional baseball, starting pitchers typically pitch every five or six days in a rotation.
A key baseball term combining 先発 (starting; going first) and 投手 (pitcher). Baseball is one of the most popular sports in Japan, and understanding baseball terminology is useful for following Japanese media and conversation.
Common collocations
- 先発投手を務める: to serve as starting pitcher
- 先発ローテーション: starting rotation
- 先発投手が崩れる: the starting pitcher falls apart
- 先発投手を交代させる: to replace the starting pitcher